Windows 7 freezing (semi randomly)

haison said:

I use to have Vista 64 on my desktop and upgraded to Windows 7. It started freezing and to the advice I've read online, I did a clean install. It froze up after i signed in when the gadgets were popping up. I restarted and it worked fine for a bit. I installed all the missing drivers and did Windows Update. Everytime the computer is checking for an update, it freezes and when I restart, the updates appear that need to be installed. It happens each time I click Check for Updates. The computer still freezes randomly but that's when it happens the most.

I will provide all the information I can to you guys to help fix my problem.

Ok, I'll start by asking some info.

1. What windows 7 build do you run?
2. Any overclocking done?
3. How much ram do you have installed? How many strips?
4. Do you have any idea about the temperatures of the system?
(you can download everest ultimate to get an insight of the temps)
5. What kind of connection wireless of NIC?
6. Do you have many apps installed?
7. Which AV/firewall installed?
8. You said it was fine for a while, any idea what apps were installed right before it started happening?

Greetz

1. Running Window 7 x64 Ultimate that I received from MSDNAA
2. No overclocking
3. 8GB (4x2GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2) Ran MemTest for 8 hours with no errors yesterday
4. All temps look normal.
5. I am using a Linksys Wireless G that is using the default driver.
6. Not many apps. Fresh install about two days ago.
7. I am using AVG antivirus
8. This started within the first five seconds of logging in for the first time and everytime I check for updates. It occasionally freezes when I close out of my browser too.

haison said:

1. Running Window 7 x64 Ultimate that I received from MSDNAA
2. No overclocking
3. 8GB (4x2GB Corsair Dominator 1066MHz DDR2) Ran MemTest for 8 hours with no errors yesterday
4. All temps look normal.
5. I am using a Linksys Wireless G that is using the default driver.
6. Not many apps. Fresh install about two days ago.
7. I am using AVG antivirus
8. This started within the first five seconds of logging in for the first time and everytime I check for updates. It occasionally freezes when I close out of my browser too.

We have to try to rule out as much as possible.

Can you try cabled network? And see how that works? Seen some problems with USB wireless.
Can you temporarily uninstall AVG? Seen some problems with it before too.
Do you have other usb stuff attached? Maybe USB hub?

Seems like the early xp/vista days all over again.
Don't know why they had to change the driver model again, but man I see so many similar problems it's scary.

I praise myself lucky, four system without any problem.
Only thing that really sucks is the horrible USB2 performance, but that is a leftover from Vista.
My 45mb/s usb stick does 2mb/s, my usb harddisk does 4mb/s, and that is on any of the four systems.
MS really screwed up USB drivers.

Well Haison,

I have to go to bed. 3:17 am here.

But keep the info coming, I'll check back tomorrow.

Greetz

Somehow I overlooked this, but the motherboard temperature is 80C. I do not know when the motherboard temperature started getting that hot, but surprised Vista never picked it up but 7 did. It is an Asus P5Q and I have submitted Newegg about the warranty info.

Thank you very much squonksc. I would have probably be on another wild goose chase trying to figure it out if I wouldn't have looked over that list you told me to do again. So does anybody know why the motherboard would have a temperature like that after a year of use?

haison said:

Somehow I overlooked this, but the motherboard temperature is 80C. I do not know when the motherboard temperature started getting that hot, but surprised Vista never picked it up but 7 did. It is an Asus P5Q and I have submitted Newegg about the warranty info.

Thank you very much squonksc. I would have probably be on another wild goose chase trying to figure it out if I wouldn't have looked over that list you told me to do again. So does anybody know why the motherboard would have a temperature like that after a year of use?

Hi Haison,

I can hardly imagine the motherboard temp being that high and the rest being normal.
The motherboard it's self doesn't create that kind of temps.
The temperature in the case must be causing this.
And the heat inside the case is mainly generated by other peripherals, like harddisks, CPU, GPU.

Airflow is essential, and not just blowing air around like I see in many cases, but getting air in, and getting air out as quick as possible.

But first we have to find out exactly what temperatures all the peripherals have.
Everest can do that, but only the full version and you would need to buy it.


If you send me a personal message with your email address, I will send you a free tool that can pick up temperatures of everything, including RAM temperatures.

Greetz

.

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well guys, the Asus P5Q is still getting RMA'd and I got tired of waiting and got the Asus Rampage Formula. I have narrowed the problem down to not be hardware (I think at least). Whenever I perform a Windows Update, it will freeze. I have disabled it and have ran it for 24 hours without it freezing up. I manually did a Windows Update and it froze again. I have ran AVG anti-virus on all my hard drives and this is all I could muster up.

What do you have for fans in your case? What do you have IN the case that is generating so much heat?

check system messages under event viewer in administrative tools and see what the red critical error messages are saying at the exact times the freezes are happening.